March 07, 2016
He Aitua : Tahuna Minhinnick
A blow to south Auckland iwi Ngati Te Ata with the death of community leader and chief negotiator Tahuna Minhinnick on Friday after a game of basketball.
He was in his early 50s.
The son of Dame Nganeko Minhinnick was a gym owner who promoted healthy lifestyles, and also produced the Maraerobics children’s aerobics television programme from 1997 to 2004.
Hauraki Waikato MP Nanaia Mahuta says he had a wide range of skills and talents.
"He’s attributed with starting the first marae based health centre scheme. He was a strong support for his mum in terms of Maioro (ironsands claim) and a stalwart for Ngati Te Ata in terms of promoting their aims and aspirations. You know he had a lot of talent. He even stood for parliament at one point as a candidate for National so a real shame and a real loss to his own community and to the broader Waikato Iwi," she says.
Tahuna Minhinnick’s tangi is at Tahuna Marae in Waiuku, and the funeral service takes place at 11 tomorrow morning (Tuesday).
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